Maternity garment



Dec. 25, 1951 E. M. BRACHFIELD MATERNITY GARMENT Filed July 15, 1949 Patented Dec. 25, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to maternity garments, and it has among its salient objects to provide a garment of the character referred to having across its back Waist line an elastic with the material at the back gathered together on said elastic, whereby to give the garment a neat fitting bust line, and at the same time permit sufficient expansion in the front to satisfactorily meet all the requirements of pregnancy, while maintaining a comparatively close fit of the garment to the figure.

By providing this elastic in the back, with the material in the back gathered together on said elastic, as expansion is required in the front, the material for such expansion is drawn from the opposite sides of the back with said elastic yielding across the back, so that there is no discomfort in front by reason of having an elastic across the front. The garment in front is smooth and without any waist line across the front of the garment. The expansion in front is uniform in a natural response to the enlargement of the abdomen.

Another object of the invention is to extend the opposite ends of the back waist line around the opposite sides of the garment and upwardly in front toward the middle of the garment, so as to underlie the breasts of the wearer.

In order to better explain the invention, I have shown on the accompanying sheet of drawings, one embodiment thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, from the front, of a maternity garment embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view from the rear, of the same;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary straight front view of the garment; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary straight back view of the garment.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the maternity garment here shown can be made of any suitable material and in any desired size. The garment is intended as an under garment or slip, and is of the usual general form.

My invention consists in providing across the back of the garment, near the waist line, an elastic, as at 5, with the material gathered on said elastic, as at 6, said elastic extending, preferably to the opposite sides, as at l, I, which points yield and move around toward the front, at the opposite sides, as increased fullness is required in the front. This permits the front to gradually expand in uniform manner and Without any line pull across or on the abdomen.

From the opposite ends of the elastic, as from 1, 1, the front of the garment is cut and stitched around toward the front and. upwardly toward the middle of the front, as indicated by the stitch lines 8, 8, the upper part being gathered, as at 9, 9, and thus forming a neat pocket-like covering for the breasts, as will be understood from Fig. l.

The lace trim I0, and the shoulder straps H,

l I, can be of the usual or any desired pattern or design, and any other ornamentations or design features can be used.

My invention is as above described, and makes possible a smooth, uniform front fit and covering of the abdomen, with the yield or supply of additional material for the expansion of the front coming from the back, and with the yielding of the elastic, as will be understood from the: drawing, across the back, and not across the front with discomforture.

I do not limit the invention to the details here shown for purposes of explanation, except as I may be limited by the hereto appended claim.

I claim:

A maternity garment of the character referred to including a garment proper having an elastic across the back at the waist line, with the material in the back gathered together on said elastic, and attached at the opposite sides of said back to the opposite ends of said elastic, whereby said elastic can be extended at both ends toward the front, to permit the front of said garment to expand generally over the abdomen as required, the front of said garment having a seam extended from each end of said elastic forwardly and upwardly in the front toward the middle thereof and the material along each of said seams being gathered, whereby to form two separate pocket-like coverings for the breasts.

ERWIN M. BRACHFIELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,513,520 Pruzan Oct. 28, 1924 2,054,439 Nichthauser Sept. 15, 1936 2,072,020 Barmon Feb. 23, 1937 2,092,390 Federico Sept. 7, 1937 2,276,609 Cadous Mar. 17, 1942 2,324,856 Leary July 20,, 1943 2,424,600 Cadous July 29, 1947 2,458,696 Elias Jan. 11, 1949 

